Chapter One: The Choice

So.... yeah. Finally decided to get myself a blog. And copy Taylor and post this story I've been working on I guess. I rather like it. Let me know what you think and stuff?


 

    Math’s skin was crawling. He jumped at every little noise and kept glancing over his shoulder. He had never been in this part of town before, and for good reasons, especially this late at night. If  it wasn’t your throat that was cut, it was your purse, they said. He kept a hand firmly on the hilt of the knife hidden up his sleeve.

    “Relax, will you?” Nym said beside him. “I’ve been up and down these streets countless times and I haven’t run into any trouble. That I couldn’t get out of, at least.”

    “Yes, well, that’s comforting,” Math said through clenched teeth. Nym had always been the more brave of the two. And the stronger one. Math had never been good in a fight.

    Math heard the footsteps again, but when he looked over his shoulder no one was there. Again. He wasn’t sure if anyone was actually following them or if he was just imagining it.

    “We shouldn’t have come,” he grumbled.

    “You’re the one that wanted the book. Besides, I know my way around here like the back of my hand. We’ll be fine.”

    It was true. Math did really want that book. This was pivotal, that book could be the missing link in his years of research. If he didn’t die on the way there, of course.

    “Just stop looking so jumpy,” Nym continued. “It will only make you a bigger target.”

    Math gritted his teeth and tried not to look over his shoulder yet again. They couldn’t be too far from the tavern they agreed to meet in. They’d be in and out and back to the safety of the main way before too long.

    Suddenly Nym grabbed Math’s arm and pulled him off into a back alley. He quickened his pace, green eyes sharp and searching all around.

    “What is it?” Math asked thickly. His heart seemed to be beating somewhere in his throat.

    “Someone’s been following us for a while. I thought maybe it was a coincidence but after this long, it most likely isn’t.”

    So Math had been hearing footsteps. It was comforting to know he hadn’t been hearing things, but a lot less comforting to know that as a result, they were in danger.

    Nym led them through a maze of back streets and alleys. The footsteps behind them were a lot louder now. Whoever was following them knew that he’d been found out, and was just trying to keep up at this point. Stealth was no longer his objective.

    Nym suddenly came to a stop, Math stumbling into him. A tall brick wall stood in front of them. A dead end. Nym swore, turning quickly. It was too late to redirect to a different street. A tall figure, cloaked in black stood in the middle of the street, blocking any way out. He was breathing heavily, but stood firmly, legs parted, arms crossed at his chest. A hood covered his face.

    At least there’s only one, Math thought, glancing at Nym, who was gripping the hilt of the sword at his hip. Two against one, the odds were in their favor, even if Math couldn’t really fight.

    That small bubble of hope popped when several more cloaked figures melted into the street from adjoining alleys. Nym swore again. 
 
    One of the figures, most likely the leader, separated himself from the group and sauntered forward. “We’re getting lucky tonight boys,” he said lazily. “We found ourselves a girlie and a couple of fat purses.” His voice was rich and smooth and stood the hair on the back of Math’s neck on end.

    Nym drew his sword, and stepped between the man and Math. Searching through the group, Math saw the girlie they were talking about. She was bound and gagged, slung over a stocky figure’s shoulder, her dark hair tumbling almost to the ground.

    The leader laughed at Nym’s sword. Turning to his companions, he said, “How cute. They mean to fight back.” The others joined in his laughing and jeering.

    Without really thinking about it, Math reached down his sleeve, pulled out his knife, and flung it at the leader. His aim was off, the blade missed the leader’s chest, but it still imbedded itself in his shoulder.

    Nym spared Math a quick glare. It probably wasn’t his best idea, but it had stopped the laughing at least.

    “Here’s a tip for ya, scum,” the leader said, pulling the knife out of his shoulder with his good arm and a grunt. “Never give your enemy a weapon.”

    He threw the knife back at Math. It flew through the air fast, but Math was also fast and he was expecting it. He dove to the side, rolling back to his feet, as the knife hit the wall behind him and clattered to the ground.

    Math quickly retrieved it. Twirling it in his hand, he said, “What were you saying?”

    Nym shot him a look that said shut up.

I really don’t know what’s gotten into me, Math replied silently. But he stood firmly.

The leader growled. “Enough of this. Get them!”

The group advanced forward. 

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” Nym chanted, gripping his sword tightly. “I can’t fight them off all at once. What were you thinking?”

“I don’t think I was,” Math answered, feeling sweat drip down his face. How could they possibly get out of this mess?

The group was on them within seconds. Math was quick on his feet, so he could dodge the majority of the attacks, but he didn’t know how long he’d last. He already had a scratch across his forehead and a cut on his upper arm. He had to constantly blink the blood out of his eyes.

Nym was fast and good with a blade. His clothes were cut in a few places, and he may have had some shallow cuts but nothing bad. Two of the attackers were laying on the ground by him, unmoving.

Math ducked under another blade, glancing quickly over at Nym. He had just ran one of the attackers through with his sword, but there was another coming up behind him and fast. 

“Behind you!” Math screamed.

Nym turned but not fast enough. The blow missed his chest, but cut into his side instead, the blade sliding in deep. He retaliated by chopping off the thug’s head. 

Distracted by Nym’s predicament, Math didn’t notice the attacker coming up by him until he felt the sharp pain in his leg. He stumbled down, surprised, as the attacker raised his sword again. Math rolled away and narrowly missed having his own head chopped off.

They were in bad shape now. Math’s leg was bleeding profusely and he knew Nym wouldn’t be better off with his injury. There were still three of them left as well as the leader who had been standing outside the fighting. We’re probably going to die here. Unless. Unless. . .

Math felt the power boiling inside of him. It was a dangerous choice, he knew, once that could end with him swinging from a noose. But if he didn’t do anything now, he would certainly die, and so would Nym. It was a risk, but he couldn’t afford not to take it. 

Math released the power. 

The thug that had stuck him burst into flames. He let out an unearthly scream and the air quickly filled with the stench of burnt flesh. The other two thugs paused in their fight against Nym, and began slowly backing away. Math pushed himself to his feet, ignoring the pain in his leg, and raised his hand to the remaining thugs. 

They all bolted, including the leader.

Math looked back at Nym, who was gasping for air before collapsing to the ground. Ignoring the pain in his leg, Math hurried over to Nym and knelt beside him. Math carefully turned Nym over so he could look at the gash in his side.

“Well, that’s one way to take care of them,” Nym said with a weak smile.

“It’s always helpful to have a bit of magic up your sleeve.” Math couldn’t come up with a smile in response. Nym’s wound was bad, and Math didn’t really know too much about healing with magic. He didn’t want to make things any worse. He wiped at the cut on his forehead. It was still bleeding the blood in his eyes was distracting.

“Is he going to be okay?”

Math whipped his head up at the voice. It was the girlie the thugs had kidnapped, kneeling on the other side of Nym. They must have left her behind when they ran away. She had somehow gotten out of her bindings on her own.

“He’ll live,” Math responded shortly. It was one thing to fling some magic fire around in a life-and-death situation, but he couldn’t just use it in front of someone he didn’t even know.

Maybe Math could just clean and dress the wound there, before Nym lost too much blood, and then take him back to Math’s room. He knew he had books on healing in his collection, and it would probably be safer than attempting anything here. But there was still the matter of the girl.

“Can you heal him?” she asked, peering up at him with an almost hungry expression.

“What?”

“I saw what--the fire, I saw it. You can. . .” she glanced around surreptitiously, and continued in a whisper, “you can do magic. I saw you.” 

Math stared back at her. Of course she would’ve seen the burning body. She was right there.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. You just saved my life. I’m not going to call the guard or anything on you. I promise.”

“Math.” Nym gripped Math’s arm tightly with a bloody hand. “I’m kind of losing a lot of blood here. No pressure, but try to make up your mind soon. Please.”

Math spared another glance up at the girl, and then focused on Nym. “I don’t know enough about healing to do it here. I might just make it worse. I’ll clean it up and wrap it up and get you back to the inn, and take care of you there.”

“And your leg?”

Math had forgotten about his leg. In response, it twinged in pain. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I can take care of that in a minute. Let me get you wrapped up first.”

He let the power flow through him once more as he placed his hands over Nym’s wound. 

“This may sting a little,” he warned as a soft blue glow emanated around his hands. Nym let out a low hiss.

“Lelian!” a stern, loud voice shouted.

The girl instantly jumped up, spinning around. Math dropped his hands from the wound, the glow disappearing. A tall, slender man stood down the alleyway, dressed in fine clothing over leather armor. He held a long sword loose in one hand, his expression cautious.

He didn’t see me, please say he didn’t see me.

The man’s eyes flicked to Math, then back to the girl. “I see your consorting with wizards.” His grip on his sword tightened.

Damn. They just weren’t going to get a break tonight.

“Listen, please, it’s not what you think, please,” the girl said in a rush. She was staring at his sword, her face white.

“Please, tell me why I shouldn’t run him through right now.”

“Please. He saved my life, Jonah. They took me. They were going to--they were going to--” she let out a long shaky breath.

The man, Jonah, walked forward, to the girl. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. “Those cuts will likely scar.” He let go of her face, and glared down at Math and Nym. “Just because those abominations saved your life doesn’t give them a free pass. Wizards are dangerous and conniving. Sure, they saved your life tonight but that doesn’t mean they won’t burn you with magic tomorrow.”

“I’m actually quite distinctly non-magical,” Nym interjected. “I can say in all honesty that I will not burn her tomorrow.”

A look of annoyance passed Jonah’s face. “You aren’t really in a position to negotiate.”

“I wasn’t negotiating, I was stating the truth.” Nym tried to sit up, but let out a gasp and instantly fell back down. 

“Stupid. Stay still,” Math mumbled to Nym, shrugging off his cloak. 

As Math started wrapping Nym’s middle with the cloak, the girl said, “Please, they need medical attention.”

“Lelian, have you listened to nothing I just said? They are dangerous. They should not be left to live.”

“They saved my life. That has got to mean something. Besides, if they’re so dangerous why haven’t you just killed them yet? I’m sure he could have burned you by now if he wanted.”

Truth be told, the thought had passed through Math’s mind, and he was still considering it. 

Jonah glanced between Math and Lelian. Math kept his eyes down, concentrating on Nym’s wound, trying to look as un-intimidating as was possible. He had survived through too much that night to die yet.

“Perhaps we can put them to use,” Jonah said slowly.

“What do you mean by that?” Lelian sound hopeful but Math was instantly suspicious.

“Father is always looking for additional help of a--ah--certain type.”

“You’re a cruel man.” The hope was gone from her voice.

“Certainly not. These young men saved your life, after all. What better way than to give them lodging at the mansion and offer them a job opportunity of their lifetime?”

Lelian glanced back at Math and Nym, uncertainty written on her face.

“What sort of work is this? Who is your father?” Math asked. He had a bad feeling about it all.

“My father’s name--is--” Lelian bit her lip. “My father is Aelos Morgenthal. I’m sure you can guess what kind of work you would be doing.” She glared at Jonah.

Morgenthal. Of course it would be. Everybody knew the name, and it was often a curse, at least amongst the poor. Aelos Morgenthal was a prominent lord, living in a lavish estate with a large mansion within the castle close. He only seemed interested in two things. One was keeping the wealthy, particularly himself, wealthier.

The other was to quash out all magic that existed including and especially those that used it. 

Morgenthal was why Math had to live in fear of death. The laws had been getting lazy, it was thousands of  years since the incident that led to the banning of magic. Nothing bad had happened since then. People were in a lull. If they saw something that logically couldn’t have happened, they put it off to a trick of the light. Working too hard, sleeping too little. It wasn’t magic of course. 

But then Morgenthal started stirring things up again. He started persecuting people for little things that was more likely to be an odd trick of luck than magic. People were seeing magic in everything now. Staying alive was tricky for a wizard.

Math couldn’t work for Morgenthal. For the past several years, Math had been researching the history of magic, trying to prove that it wasn’t as dangerous as people were making it out to be. He was finally making some leeway, and that book he had been after could’ve been the final push. But they had gotten jumped and everything had changed.

It was either work for his biggest enemy. Or die.

“We can’t do it, we can’t work for him,” Nym said, glaring up at Jonah. 

“If you refuse, I’ll call the guard. They’ll be here in a matter of seconds. I’ll likely have killed you both by then.”

The blood from the cut on Math’s forehead was hot. It still hadn’t stopped bleeding, although it had slowed. His leg was throbbing. He was starting to feel lightheaded. He just wanted to lie down and ignore everything else and sleep. Just for a little while.

“We’ll do it.”

“What? You can’t be serious.” Nym’s face looked blurry.

“We’ll do it,” Math repeated. He didn’t want to. But maybe he could find some way to bring it down from the inside. Maybe he could escape and continue his research. It seemed a better option than dying. If he was dead he couldn’t do anything.

Which, at that moment didn’t seem too bad.

Lelian rushed forward to his side. “They need medical treatments soon. Call your guard. We need  to get them back to the mansion.”

Math was aware of a flurry of movement around him, but not much more. 

He had made a choice. It was probably the wrong one. But at least he was alive.